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WHY  NORTH  CAROLINA  SHOULD  ERECT  AND 

PRESERVE  MEMORIALS  AND  MARK 

HISTORIC  PLACES. 


ADDRESS    BY 

J.  BRYAN    GRIMES 

BEFORE   THE    NORTH    CAROLINA    LITERARY    AND    HISTORICAL   ASSOCIATION. 

RALEIGH.   N.   C   .    NOVEMBER    A.   1  909 


[Reprinted  from  the  North  Carolina,  Review,  Literary  and 
Historical  Section  of  the  News  and  Observer.'] 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/whynorthcarolinaOOgrim 


WHY  NORTH  CAROLINA  SHOULD  ERECT  AND 

PRESERVE  MEMORIALS  AND  MARK 

HISTORIC  PLACES. 


ADDRESS    BY 

J.  BRYAN    GRIMES 

BEFORE    THE    NORTH    CAROLINA    LITERARY    AND    HISTORICAL    ASSOCIATION. 
RALEIGH,   N.   C   .    NOVEMBER    4.   1909. 


[Reprinted  from  the  North  Carolina  Review,  Literary  and  Historical  Section  of  the 
News  and  Observer.] 


This  afternoon  marks  the  tenth  an- 
nual session  of  this  association.  Just 
a  decade  ago  a  company  of  patriotic 
North  Carolinians  gathered  together 
and  organized  the  State  Literary  and 
Historical  Association.  The  purposes 
of  the  organization  are: 

"The  collection,  preservation,  pro- 
duction and  dissemination  of  State 
literature  and  history;  the  encourage- 
ment of  public  and  school  libraries; 
the  establishment  of  an  historical  mu- 
seum; the  inculcation  of  a  literary 
spirit  among  our  people;  the  correc- 
tion of  printed  misrepresentations  con- 
cerning North  Carolina;  and  the  en- 
gendering of  an  intelligent,  healthy 
State  pride  in  the  rising  generation." 

As  a  result  of  their  efforts: 

(a)  Twenty-four  hundred  libraries 
have  been  established  in  rural  public 
schools,  containing  two  hundred  thou- 
sand well  selected  books  with  a  read- 
ing circle  of  a  million  people. 

(b)  The  Hall  of  History  has  been 
established  containing  the  best  collec- 
tion of  historical  relics  to  be  found 
in  the  South.  It  is  annually  visited  by 
more  than  50,000  sons  and  daughters 
of  the  State  to  whom  the  exhibit  Is  a 
revelation  and  an  inspiration.  The 
display  is  an  object  lesson  which  in 
a  few  minutes  demonstrates  and 
teaches  more  of  the  State's  history 
than  can  be  learned  in  months  of 
book  study.  Under  the  enthusiastic 
and  devoted  care  of  Col.  F.  A.  Olds 
this  museum  has  grown  to  be  the  pride 
of  the  State,  and  now  contains  over 
seven  thousand  articles,  many  of  them 
of  priceless  historical  value.  It  is  in 
its  infancy  and  when  domiciled  in  a 
fire-proof  building  it  will  easily  mul- 
tiply itself  to  seven  times  seven  thou- 
sand  relics. 

(c)  This  association  has  caused  the 
establishment  of  North  Carolina  Day 
in  the  public  schools  whereby  one  day 


in  each  year  is  devoted  to  the  celebra- 
tion of  North  Carolina  history.  On 
that  day  more  than  half  a  million 
children  with  their  relatives  and 
friends  gather  together  to  hear  the 
story  of  their  mother  State. 

(d)  In  an  effort  to  preserve  the  in- 
tegrity of  our  history  and  defend  the 
State  from  misrepresentation,  it  set- 
tled beyond  question  our  claim  of 
"First  at  Bethel,  Farthest  at  Gettys- 
burg, Last  at  Appomattox."  These 
are  no  longer  controverted  state- 
ments in  our  history  and  we  have 
chiseled  the  facts  on  imperishable 
granite  and  placed  upon  the  gory 
fields  of  Bethel,  Chickamauga  and  Ap- 
pomattox stones  marking  North  Caro- 
lina's   positions. 

(e)  This  association  has  inculcated 
a  literary  spirit  and  a  desire  for  his- 
toric research  among  our  people,  with 
the  result  that  more  literature  is  now 
being  written  in  North  Carolina  than 
she  has  ever  before  produced.  Un- 
der its  influence  a  gifted  Carolinian 
has  offered  a  jeweled  cup  to  the  au- 
thor of  the  best  work  of  the  preceding 
year. 

(f)  A  few  years  ago  the  student  of 
North  Carolina  history  had  to  rely 
upon  almost  inaccessible  manuscripts 
and  the  obscure  writings  of  William- 
son, Martin,  Hawks  and  a  few  others. 
It  is  true,  Murphy,  Graham,  Jones, 
HJubbard,  Swain,  Wiley,  Davis  and 
some  others  at  a  later  period  wrote 
ably  and  well,  but  we  had  nothing 
from  them  approaching  the  dignity  of 
a  story  of  our  people. 

In  the  midst  of  many  difficulties 
Wheeler  and  Moore  with  great  labor 
dug  out  much  of  the  history  of  North 
Carolina.  Then  came  Saunders  with 
his  monumental  work,  the  Colonial 
Records,  followed  by  Judge  Clark  with 
his  State  Records,  covering  the  period 
from  1776  to  1791. 


With  the  two  hundred  years  of  our 
State's  life,  our  history  writers  could 
be  counted  within  a  score.  Now  more 
than  a  score  are  at  work  in  a  labor 
of  love  telling  the  story  of  an  heroic 
past  and  a  teeming  present  and  the 
task  has  just  begun.  Within  the  decade 
Battle,  Ashe,  Graham,  Clark,  Hill, 
Peele,  Weeks,  Connor,  Hamilton, 
Nash,  Clewell,  Pittman,  Boyd,  Sims. 
Allen,  Hoyt,  Waddell,  Sikes,  Noble, 
Schenck,  Haywood,  Bassett,  Grady, 
Dodd  and  others  have  written  and  are 
now  writing  with  accuracy  and  ability. 
Today  a  scholar  desiring  to  study  the 
history  of  North  Carolina  would  go  to 
the  University  of  Wisconsin  rather 
than  to  our  own  University;  to  the 
capital  of  Wisconsin  or  Massachusetts. 
rather  than  to  our  own  capital  for  his 
material.  In  a  few  years  all  this  will 
be  changed. 

Among  other  credits  due  the  Litera- 
ry and  Historical  Association  is  the 
creation  of  the  North  Carolina  Histor- 
ical Commission.  The  act  establish- 
ing it  declares  that, 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Com- 
mission to  have  collected  from  the 
files  of  old  newspapers,  court  records, 
church  records,  private  collections, 
and  elsewhere,  historical  data  pertain- 
ing to  the  history  of  North  Carolina 
and  the  territory  included  therein 
from  the  earliest  times;  to  have  such 
material  properly  edited,  published  t>y 
the  State  Printer  as  other  State  print- 
ing, and  distributed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Commission;  to  care  for 
proper  marking  and  preservation  of 
battle-fields,  houses  and  other  places 
celebrated  in  the  history  of  the  State; 
to  diffuse  knowledge  in  reference  to 
the  history  and  resources  of  North 
Carolina;  to  encourage  the  study  of 
North  Carolina  history  in  the  schools 
of  the  State,  and  to  stimulate  and  en- 
courage historical  investigation  and 
research  among  the  people  of  the 
State." 

This  Commission  is  not  only  gather- 
ing records,  manuscripts,  historic  ma- 
terial and  relics,  but  it  is  endeavoring 
to  arouse  our  people  to  the  necessity 
of  preserving  our  memorials  and  im- 
press upon  them  the  importance  of 
telling  the  story  of  the  Old  North 
State  in  paintings,  marble  and  bronze. 
It  is  making  an  effort  to  secure  the 
erection  of  monuments  to  the  great 
men  and  great  events  in  our  history 
and  as  far  as  possible  to  locate  and 
mark  historic  sites  in  North  Carolina. 
The  State  Literary  and  Historical  As- 
sociation from  now  on  should  lend 
itself  and  bend  itself  to  co-operate 
with  the  Historical  Commission  to 
that  end. 

Prom  the  earliest  civilizations  of 
antiquity,    nations    have   adorned   their 


halls  with  statues  of  their  rulers  and 
patriots  and  ornamented  their  walls 
with  pictorial  stories  of  national  traits 
and  heroism.  By  song  and  story,  pic- 
torial history  and  allegory  they  have 
kept  ever  present  before  their  peoples 
the  hero  traditions  of  their  races.  They 
have  garlanded  their  triumphs  and 
woven  the  willow  and  cypress  to  make 
more  sacred  their  lost  causes.  Not 
only  should  we  cluster  in  and  around 
our  capital  such  monuments  and  me- 
morials, but  we  should  mark  the  his- 
toric places  within  our  State  and 
such  places  within  our  neighboring 
States  as  have  been  made  sacred  by 
the  blood  of  our  hero  soldiers  and 
have  been  the  scene  of  their  prowess 
and  valor. 

To  the  traveler  there  must  be  a  feel- 
ing of  disappointment  when  he  comes 
to  North  Carolina.  Accustomed  as  he 
is  in  visiting  the  capitals  of  the  old 
world  to  read  their  history  and  study 
the  li-'J  of  the  nations  in  monuments 
and  marble  busts,  in  portraits,  great 
paintings  and  magnificent  buildings, 
he  cannot  but  feel  and  be  impressed 
with  our  want  of  pride.  In  the  States 
to  the  north  of  us  every  hamlet  and 
every  city  has  markers,  tablets  and 
monuments  commemorating  every  im- 
portant event  in  its  history;  every 
man  who  has  served  his  State  is  re- 
membered with  granite,  marble  or 
bronze.  Their  story  is  told  to  all  the 
world,  their  greatness  proclaimed  to 
all  men  and  their  States  enriched  by 
their  services  and  their  people  are 
ennobled  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  and 
elevated  in  their  own  self  esteem. 

What  avails  a  great  deed  after  the 
crisis  that  called  it  forth  has  passed, 
if  it  is  not  recorded?  It  is  lost,  its 
memory  is  gone,  its  example  is  wasted; 
whereas,  if  recorded  it  will  live  to  in- 
spire others  to  emulate,  and  its  story 
will  enrich  the  world.  We  must  study 
the  past  to  guide  and  inspire  the  pres- 
ent, avoiding  its  weaknesses,  emu- 
lating its  successes  and  profiting  by 
its  experiences.  Our  life  and  our 
being  are  part  of  it — built  on  it.  If 
built  on  honor  and  virtue,  our  future 
is  safe;  if  characterless  and  weak,  the 
future  is  less  hopeful.  "We  must 
know  how  we  became  what  we  are  in 
order  to  become  better  than  we  are." 

"The  roots  of  the  present  lie  deep  in 
the  past,  and  nothing  in  the  past  is 
dead  to  the  man  who  would  learn  how 
the  present  came  to  be  what  it  is." 
"Men  may  rise  on  stepping  stones  of 
their  dead  selves  to  higher  things." 
Because  we  are  a  Democratic  people 
with  Democratic  tastes  is  no  reason 
why  we  should  withhold  honor  from 
those  who  have  served  us  faithfully 
and  well. 


A  gifted  author  has  written,  "A 
democracy,  fellow  citizens,  cannot  af- 
ford to  be  ungrateful.  Built  as  it  is 
upon  loyal  service  and  patriotic  sacri- 
fice, the  day  of  its  forgetting  will  be 
the  day  of  its  undermining."  Justice 
has  not  been  done  our  dead,  we  have 
not  been  jealous  of  their  fame  and 
zealous  in  seeing  that  they  have  re- 
ceived their  just  meed  of  praise, 
neither  have  we  been  grateful  for 
their  services.  The  people  of  North 
Carolina  have  been  doers  rather  than 
writers.  They  have  been  wanting  in 
State  pride  and  that  lack  has  been 
largely  for  want  of  a  State  history. 
They  have  lacked  self  assertion  and 
self  appreciation  because  there  was 
no  record  to  which  they  could  appeal. 
Those  who  would  defend  their  State 
were  ignorant  of  the  testimony.  We 
have  been  sensitive  because  historians 
neglected  or  misrepresented  us,  while 
it  has  largely  been  our  own  fault,  as 
we  have  expected  others  to  do  for  us 
what  we  have  not  done  for  ourselves. 
We  had  to  learn  that  we  must  keep 
our  own  records  to  receive  proper 
credits.  North  Carolina  has  been  sub- 
jected to  ridicule,  misrepresentation 
and  malignment  from  the  day  of  Seth 
Sothel,  Urmstone,  Byrd  and  Chalmers 
on  down  to  the  ninth  edition  of  the 
Encyclopedia  Britannica  (Vol.  1,  pg. 
719)  where  we  find,  after  a  discussion 
of  the  thinkers  in  the  South,  "Nor  is  it 
too  much  to  say  that  mainly  by  their 
connection  with  the  North,  the  Caro- 
linas  have  been  saved  from  sinking  to 
the  level  of  Mexico  or  the  Antilles." 

We  are  unknown  to  the  outside 
world  because  we  are  almost  unknown 
to      ourselves.  The      early     royalist 

writers  draw  unkind  pictures  of  us  be- 
cause "the  most  inconsiderable  com- 
munity of  North  Carolina  has  never 
relinquished  the  flattering  gratifica- 
tion of  self  rule."  Many  of  our  own 
historians  fell  into  the  error  of  accept- 
ing the  royalist  views  and  even  some 
of  our  more  recent  painters  have 
clouded  rather  than  illumined  the  can- 
vas in  making  the  picture  of  the  early 
Carolinians.  He  was  the  freest  of  the 
free.  He  demanded  the  rights  under 
his  charter  and  under  the  Great  Deed 
of  Grant.  With  him  the  fundamental 
ideal  was  self  government  and  he 
waged  a  continual  fight  against  usurp- 
ed authority,  resisting  and  arresting 
any  invasion  of  his  guaranteed  rights. 
Patriotism  was  his  religion,  his  hearth- 
stone was  his  altar  and  he  loved  the 
soil  that  gave  him  inspiration, 
strength   and   sustenance. 

In  our  capitol  today  the  only  monu- 
ment or  bust  is  to  a  South  Carolinian. 
Eight  empty  niches  in  the  rotunda  in- 
variably   provoke    comment    from    the 


historians,  scholars  and  sightseers. 
These  blanks  misrepresent  our  State 
as  it  leaves  the  impression  that  we 
have  had  no  sons  whom  we  admired 
and  esteemed  sufficiently  to  commem- 
orate in  marble  or  bronze.  It  is  the 
purpose  of  the  Historical  Commission, 
at  an  early  date,  to  place  in  one  of 
these  niches  a  bust  of  one  of  the  great- 
est men  of  the  Union — William  A. 
Graham.  We  hope  the  people  of  the 
State,  acting  through  their  legislature, 
will  soon  fill  them  all  with  busts  of 
other  great  North  Carolinians. 

In  the  Hall  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly there  are  three  great  paintings — ■ 
only  one  of  them  to  a  North  Caro- 
linian— Zebulon  B.  Vance.  In  the 
capitol  grounds  for  generations  the 
only  statue  was  of  a  Virginian,  but  in 
the  last  decade  a  heroic  statue  of  the 
beloved  Vance  has  been  erected  by 
the  State  and  the  people.  There  has 
also  been  erected  a  bronze  figure  to 
the  gallant  Worth  Bagley. 

In  the  Statuary  Hall  at  Washington, 
both  the  niches  assigned  to  North 
Carolina  are  still  vacant,  though  the 
General  Assembly  of  1907  authorized 
the  placing  of  a  statue  to  Vance  in  one 
of  them  after  1911. 

It  would  be  to  the  credit  of  North 
Carolina  to  erect  memorials  to  the 
leading  characters  in  the  most  re- 
markable incidents  in  her  history.  We 
should  preserve  the  name  and  fame 
of  such  men  as  John  Culpepper, 
George  Durant  and  Capt.  James 
Blount,  leaders  in  the  Culpepper  Revo- 
lution against  usurped  power.  They 
were  the  first  men  in  America  to  set 
up  a  government  independent  of  royal 
authority.  An  effort  is  now  being 
made  by  patriotic  ladies  in  Pasquo- 
tank County  to  mark  the  place  where 
this  assembly  was  held.  There  should 
be  a  memorial  to  John  Porter,  the 
father  of  democracy  in  North  Caro- 
lina, the  leader  of  the  people  in  their 
fight  for  chartered  rights  and  against 
the  test  oaths  of  an  established 
church.  His  lieutenant  and  successor 
to  leadership,  Edward  Moseley,  should 
also  be  remembered.  Of  him  the 
Hon.   George  Davis  wrote: 

"Of  all  the  men  who  watched  and 
guarded  the  tottering  footsteps  of  our 
infant  State,  there  was  not  one  who 
in  intellectual  ability,  in  solid  and  po- 
lite learning,  in  scholarly  cultivation 
and  refinement,  in  courage  and  en- 
durance, in  high  Christian  morality, 
in  generous  consideration  for  the  wel- 
fare of  others,  in  all  the  true  merit, 
in  fine,  which  makes  a  man  among 
men   could   equal  Edward  Moseley." 

Col.  Saunders  said,  "And  to  him, 
above  all  others,  should  North  Caro- 
lina erect  her  first  statue,  for  to  him, 
above  all  others,  is  she  indebted  for 
stimulating  that  love   of  liberty  regu- 


lated  by  law,  and  that  hatred  of  ar- 
bitrary government  that  has  ever 
characterized  her  people." 

The  day  will  come  in  North  Carolina 
when  we  shall  see  statues,  monuments 
and  memorials  to  such  men  as  Col. 
James  Moore,  who  in  time  of  need 
brought  his  South  Carolina  soldiers 
to  our  relief  and  defeated  the  Indians 
at   Nohoroco. 

To  Col.  James  Innes,  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  American  forces  in 
the  expedition  to  the  Ohio  against  the 
French  and  Indians,  who  as  Governor 
of  Fort  Cumberland  received  and  pro- 
tected the  broken  and  fugitive  forces 
of  Braddock  on  their  flight  from  that 
ill-fated  field;  (Col.  Innes  left  his  plan- 
tation, Point  Pleasant,  and  other 
property  to  establish  a  "free  school 
for  the  benefite  of  the  youth  of 
North  Carolina.") 

To  General  Hugh  Waddell.  a  hero 
of  the  Fort  Duquesne  expedition,  the 
foremost  soldier  of  the  colony  and 
the  commander  of  an  expedition 
against  the   Indians. 

To  Samuel  Swann,  the  veteran 
Speaker  of  the  Assembly;  to  "The 
Great  Ajax  of  the  Revolution"  in 
North  Carolina,  the  patriotic.  and 
lion-hearted  John  Harvey;  to  Corne- 
lius Harnett,  "The  Samuel  Adams  of 
North  Carolina;"  to  Gen.  John  Ashe, 
"The  most  chivalrous  hero  of  the 
Revolution;"  to  Richard  Caswell,  one 
of  the  greatest  of  Carolinians;  to  John 
Paul  Jones,  who  made  the  stars  and 
stripes  known  and  feared  on  every 
sea;  to  Joseph  Hewes,  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence 
and  organizer  of  the  Ameri- 
can Navy;  to  John  Penn, 
signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence; to  Samuel  Johnston, 
Speaker,  Governor  and  United  States 
Senator;  to  Col.  Alexander  Lillington, 
of  Moore's  Creek  fame;  to  Col.  James 
Moore,  soldier  of  the  Revolution;  to 
Thomas  Jones,  one  of  the  authors  of 
the  Constitution;  to  James  Iredell 
and  Alfred  Moore,  the  great  jurists; 
to  General  William  R.  Davie,  ora- 
tor, soldier,  statesman  and  father  of 
the  University  of  North  Carolina;  to 
Willie  Jones,  statesman  and  leader; 
to      Nathaniel   Macon,      Congressman, 


United  States  Senator,  "The  last  of 
the  Romans;"  to  William  Gaston, 
jurist  and  statesman;  to  James  C. 
Dobbin,  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Commons,  member  of  Congress,  and 
Secretary  of  the  Navy;  to  John 
Branch,  member  of  Congress,  Gov- 
ernor and  Secretary  of  Navy;  to 
George  E.  Badger,  jurist,  United 
States  Senator  and  Secretary  of  Navy; 
to  Thomas  Ruffin,  one  of  the  greatest 
of  American  jurists;  to  Archibald  D. 
Murphey,  scholar  and  jurist;  to  David 
L.  Swain,  jurist,  Governor  and  Pres- 
ident of  the  University  of  North  Car- 
olina; to  Weldon  N.  Edwards,  states- 
man and  president  of  the  Secession 
Convention;  to  William  L.  Saunders, 
soldier,  editor,  historian,  statesman; 
to  General  M.  W.  Ransom,  soldier, 
orator  and  statesman;  to  General 
Thomas  L.  Clingman,  soldier  and  Uni- 
ted States  Senator;  to  General  D.  H. 
Hill,  the  hero  of  a  hundred  battles; 
to  General  W.  D.  Pender,  the  superb 
soldier  who,  had  he  commanded  at 
Gettysburg,  would  have  saved  the  Con- 
federacy, now  lying  in  an  unmarked 
grave  at  Tarboro;  to  General  J.  Johnr 
ston  Pettigrew,  brilliant  soldier  and 
commander  of  the  world -famed 
charge  at  Gettysburg;  to  General  Ju- 
nius Daniel,  the  gallant  soldier  killed 
at  Spottsylvania;  to  Branch,  Ander- 
son, Ramseur,  Gordon  and  others  who 
made  glory  for  North  Carolina,  and 
who  sealed  their  devotion  to  their 
State    with    their    lives. 

North  Carolina  has  been  criticized 
for  a  want  of  spirit  in  not  having 
delegates  attend  the  *Stamp  Act  Con- 
gress at  New  York,  October  2,  1765. 
This  colony's  want  of  representation 
was  due  to  Governor  Tryon's  shrewd- 
ness in  preventing  all  meetings  of  the 
North  Carolina  Assembly  during  the 
Stamp  Act  troubles,  which  made  it 
impossible  for  the  colony  to  select 
delegates;  but  while  the  Stamp  Act 
Congress  was  passing  resolves,  the 
Cape  Fear  planters  led  by  the  most 
distinguished  soldier  of  the  Province. 
General  Hugh  Waddell,  and  by  Colo- 
nel   John    Ashe,    Speaker    of    the    As- 


*  It  is  not  generally  known  that  Henry  M'Culloh  was  probably  the  author  of  the  proposal  to  extend 
the  Stamp  duties  to  the  American  Colonies.  ...,,„,.  .j  i,  a~  +„  „™ 

He  proposed  stamp  duties  "as  a  source  of  taxation  by  which  the  Colonies  could  be  made  to  con- 
tribute a  quota  to  the  cost  of  the  late  war  *  *  *  and  to  put  these  concerns  upon  a_Pr°Per 
footing-  it  will  be  absolutely  necessary  to  establish  proper  Funds  in  America,  by  a  stamp  Duty  on  Vellum 
and  Paper."     Grenville  adopted  this  suggestion  and  reaped  all  the  fam'e  and  ill-fame  of  it. 

See  "Miscellaneous  Representations  relative  to  Our  Concerns  In  America  Submitted  to  tnefcarl 
of  Bute  by  Henry  M'Culloh."    Published  by  Wm.  A.  Shaw,  Editor  of  the    Calendar  of  Treasury  Books 

George  Harding,  Dealer  in  Economics.  Historical  Works,  etc.,  64  Great  Russell  St.,  London,  W.  C. 

Henry  M'Culloh  was  Inspector  of  quit  rents  in  North  and  South  Carolina  (1739).  Naval  Officer  at 
Cape  Breton  ( 1746).  Secretary  and  Clerk  of  the  Crown  for  North  Carolina.  He  owned  over  one  million 
acres  of  land  in  North  Carolina,  at  the  heads  of  Pee  Dee,  Cape  Fear  and  Neuse  Rivers.  He  was  the 
father  of  Henry  Eustace  M'Culloh  and  great  uncle  of  James  Iredell. 


sembly,  were  defying-  the  British  Gov- 
ernment. After  having  made  the 
Stamp  Master  sign  a  paper  declaring 
he  would  never  execute  the  duties  de- 
volving upon  him  by  this  position, 
they  forced  the  Captain  of  the  British 
Sloop  of  War  "Diligence"  to  surren- 
der to  their  demands.  This  was  the 
first  armed  resistance  to  British  op- 
pression in  America  and  a  painting 
of  that  scene  should  be  familiar  to 
every  child   in  this  country. 

As  subjects  for  paintings  worthy  of 
world  fame  that  should  adorn  our 
Capitol   walls   may   be   mentioned: 

The  landing  of  the  English  in 
America. 

The  first  English  settlement  and 
fort   in   the  New  World. 

Virginia  Dare. 

The  first  rite  of  Christian  baptism 
in  America. 

George  Durant  in  1661  buying  land 
from  Kilcocanen,  King  of  the  Teopim 
Indians,  twenty  years  before  the  Wil- 
liam Penn  treaty  at  Uplands  in  1682. 

The  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, 1775. 

Halifax  Convention  and  Resolution 
of  April   12.    1776. 

General  Jethro  Sumner's  famous 
bayonet  charge  at  Eutaw  Springs,  the 
most  celebrated  charge  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War. 

Eattle  of  King's  Mountain. 

General  Robert  Howe  in  command 
of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  troops 
driving  Lord  Dunmore,  the  British 
Governor,  to  his  ships  in  Norfolk  har- 
bor. 

Andrew  Jackson  commanding  North 
Carolinians  and  Tennesseeans  at  the 
battle  of  New  Orleans. 

Johnston  Blakeley's  battles  on  the 
high  seas. 

Secession  Convention  of  1861  when 
North  Carolina  left  the  Union  without 
a  dissenting  vote. 

Pettigrew's  world  renowned  charge 
at  Gettysburg. 

Ramseur's  Brigade  saving  the  army 
at  Spottsylvania. 

The  Fourth  North  Carolina  Regi- 
ment at  Seven  Pines. 

The  Twenty-sixth  North  Carolina 
Regiment  at   Gettysburg. 

The  Fifth  North  Carolina  Regiment 
at  Williamsburg. 

Capt.  Tuttle's  Company  at  Gettys- 
burg. 

The  undaunted  Hill  at  South  Moun- 
tain, where,  with  4,000  men,  he  held 
at  bay  for  a  whole  day  30,000  men,  the 
flower  of  McClellan's  army. 

Hoke's    capture    of    Plymouth. 

The  Albemarle  fight  at  the  mouth  of 
Roanoke  River. 

Fort  Fisher,  the  greatest  bombard- 
ment in  history. 


Last  at  Appomattox. 

James  Iredell  Waddell,  commanding 
the  Shenandoah,  carrying  the  Stars 
and  Bars  around  the  world  eight 
months  after  Lee's  surrender,  and 
other  remarkable  events. 

At  the  University  of  North  Carolina 
is  the  great  Memorial  Hall  upon 
whose  walls  are  tablets  to  her  distin- 
guished alumni,  embracing  many  of 
the  most  illustrious  sons.  On 
the  walls  of  the  Philanthropic  and 
Dialectic  Societies  is  probably  the  best 
collection  of  oil  portraits  of  distin- 
guished men  to  be  found  in  the  South. 

The  sons  of  this  institution  have 
adorned  North  Carolina  life  for  more 
than  a  century  and  their  Alma  Mater 
honors  them  and  herself  in  perpetu- 
ating their  memory,  and  the  history 
of  the  State  can  be  read  in  the  lives 
of  these  men.  At  Chapel  Hill  was 
built  the  first  astronomical  observa- 
tory in  the  United  States  (1831)  by 
Dr.  Joseph  Caldwell,  a  president  of 
this  institution.  A  monument  to  Dr. 
Caldwell  stands  on  the  campus.  Prof. 
Olmstead,  of  the  University,  organ- 
ized the  first  geological  and  mineral- 
ogic  survey  in  America. 

In  the  State  Library,  Supreme  Court 
Library,  Governor's  Mansion  and  Ex- 
ecutive office  there  are  many  portraits 
of  North  Carolinians  who  have  been 
foremost  in  the  service  of  the  State. 

At  the  Governor's  Mansion  there  is 
also  a  bust  of  Governor  John  W.  Ellis. 
There  are  also  paintings  and  memori- 
als to  soldiers  of  the  State  in  the 
North  Carolina  Room  in  the 
Confederate  Museum  in  Richmond, 
and  at  the  Lee  Camp  Hall  in  Rich- 
mond. 

North  Carolina  has  honored  the 
memory  of  some  of  her  sons  by 
naming  counti.es  for  them. 

Alexander  was  named  for  the  Alex- 
ander  family   of   Mecklenburg. 

Ashe  for  Governor  Samuel  Ashe. 

Buncombe  for  Colonel  Edward  Bun- 
combe. 

Burke  for  Governor  Thomas  Burke. 

Cabarrus  for  Stephen  Cabarrus. 

Caldwell  for  Dr.  Joseph  Caldwell. 

Caswell  for  General  Richard  Cas- 
well. 

Cleveland  for  Col.  Benjamin  Clove- 
land. 

Dare  for  Virginia  Dare. 

Davidson  for  General  William  L. 
Davidson. 

Davie  for  General  W.  R.  Davie. 

Durham  for  Dr.  B.  L.   Durham. 

Forsyth  for  Col.  Benjamin  Forsyth. 

Gaston  for  Judge  William  Gaston. 

Graham  for  Hon.  W.  A.   Graham. 

Harnett  for  Cornelius  Harnett. 

Haywood  for  Hon.   John  Haywood. 

Henderson  for  Hon.  Leonard  Hend- 
erson. 


Iredell   for   Judge  James  Iredell. 

Jones  for  General  Willie  Jones. 

Lenoir  for  Gen.  William  Lenoir. 

McDowell  for  Col.   Joseph   McDow- 
ell. 

Macon  for  Nathaniel  Macon. 

Mitchell  for  Rev.  Dr.  Elisha 
Mitchell. 

Moore   for   Judge  Alfred   Moore. 

Nash  for  Gen.  Francis  Nash. 

Pender  for  Gen.  W.  D.   Pender. 

Person  for  Gen.  Thomas  Person. 

Polk  for  Gen.  Thomas  Polk. 

Rutherford  for  Gen.  Griffith  Ruth- 
erford. 

Sampson  for  Col.  John  Sampson. 

Stanly  for  Hon.   John   Stanly. 

Stokes  for  Hon.   John  Stokes. 

Swain  for  Governor  David  L.  Swain. 

Vance  for  Governor  Zebulon  B. 
Vance. 

Wilson  for  Col.  Louis  D.  Wilson. 

Yancey  for  Hon.   Bartlett  Yancey. 

The  great  growth  in  the  past  few 
years  of  patriotic  organizations  in 
North  Carolina  promises  much  for  the 
development  of  historic  interest  in  the 
State.  Now  at  work  are  the  various 
Confederate  Memorial  Associations, 
the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  the  Sons  of 
the  Revolution,  North  Carolina  His- 
torical Society  at  the  University, 
Trinity  College  Historical  Society, 
Wachovia  Historical  Society,  Alamance 
Battle  Ground  Association,  Guilford 
Battle  Ground  Association,  Moore's 
Creek  Battle  Ground  Association, 
North  Carolina  Society  of  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution, 
North  Carolina  Society  of  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  Revolution,  King's  Moun- 
tain Battle  Ground  Association,  Daniel 
Boone  Association,  John  Charles  Mc- 
Neill   Memorial    Society   and    others. 

The  most  pathetic,  the  most  tragic, 
the  most  heroic,  the  grandest  figure 
of  all  the  ages,  is  the  Confederate 
soldier  at  Appomattox.  Over  his  vis- 
ion comes  the  scene  of  the  smoulder- 
ing ruins  of  his  boyhood  home.  His 
land  is  drenched  in  blood.  An  old 
widowed  mother  weeps  for  his  father 
who  gave  his  life  for  a  lost  cause 
and  prays  for  her  son's  return.  A  pal- 
lid and  sickened  wife  overwrought 
and  overworked  struggles  in  vain  for 
bread,  the  hunger-cry  of  his  starv- 
ing children  maddens  his  brain,  the 
shot-torn,  lifeless  form  of  his  brother 
lies  piled  unburied  in  the  trenches 
behind  him;  half  starved,  half  naked, 
foot-sore  and  emaciated  he  stands.  A 
far-away  look  is  on  his  face,  tears 
furrow  his  powder-sta'ned,  dusty 
cheeks,  but  there  is  the  light  of  bat- 
tle in  his  eye,  the  fire  of  a  great  un- 
conquerable principle  within  his 
heart.  Resolute  and  undaunted  he 
turns  about  and  with  bitter  protests 
at    being    surrendered,    begs      his    old 


commander  to  lead  him  back  to  battle, 
back  to  the  field  of  blood  and  death; 
pleading  he  stands  as  the  life-blood 
of  the  Confederacy  ebbs  away  in  the 
smoke  of  the  North  Carolina  guns  at 
Appomattox. 

To  the  Confederate  soldier  North 
Carolina  has  erected  a  great  monu- 
ment in  the  Capitol  Square  at  Ral- 
eigh. The  State  has  also  placed  a 
monument  at  Appomattox  which  bears 
on   the   north   side   this   inscription: 

"Last  at  Appomattox. 

At    This     Place     the     North     Carolina 

Brigade   of   Brigadier-General   W. 

R.    Cox    of    Grimes'    Division 
Fired  the  Last  Volley  9  April,  1865. 
M„.ior-General  Bryan  Grimes  of  North 

Carolina 

Planned  the  Last  Battle  Fought  by  the 

Army    of    Northern    Virginia    and 

Commanded    the    Infantry 

Engasred    Therein,    the    Greater    Part 

of  Whom  Were  North  Carolinians. 
This  Stone  is  Erected  by  the  Author- 
ity   of 
The  General  Assembly 
of 
North    Carolina 
In  Grateful  and  Perpetual  Memory  of 
the  Valor,  Endurance,  and  Patri- 
otism of  Her  Sons 
Who   Followed   with  Unshaken   Fidel- 
ity  the    Fortunes    of    the    Confed- 
eracy  to   This   Closing  Scene, 
Faithful  to  the  End. 
Erected  9  April,  1905." 

On  the  south  side  is  a  list  of  the 
North  Carolina  Brigades  with  number 
of  troops  paroled  at  Appomattox.  The 
east  and  west  ends  are  devoted  to 
North  Carolina's  war  record. 

At  Appomattox  markers  have  also 
been  placed  on  the  spot  where  a  bat- 
tery was  captured  the  morning  of  the 
surrender  by  the  North  Carolina 
Brigade  of  General  W.  P.  Roberts, 
and  at  the  place  where  was  fought 
the  last  skirmish  by  Capt.  W.  T. 
Jenkins,  of  the  14th  North  Carolina 
Regiment,  commanding  men  of  the  \ 
4th  and   14th   regiments. 

At  Bethel,  the  Bethel  Monument  As- 
sociation of  Virginia  and  North  Car- 
olina have  erected  a  monument  to 
Henry  Lawson  Wyatt,  and  North  Car- 
olina has  placed  a  marker  where 
Wyatt  fell. 

At  Chickamauga,  the  State  of  North 
Carolina  has  erected  a  monument  "To 
mark  the  point  attained  by  the  Six- 
tieth N.  C.  Regiment  on  September 
20,  1863;"  another  "To  mark  the  point 
attained  by  the  Thirty-ninth  North 
Carolina  Regiment  on  September  19, 
1863;"  another  on  Snodgrass  Hill  "To 
mark  the  extreme  point  attained  in  a 
charge  by  the  right  of  the  Fifty-eighth 
North    Carolina   Regiment   about    6    p. 


m.,  September  20,  1863;"  and  yet  an- 
other on  Snodgrass  Hill  where  the 
Thirty-ninth  North  Carolina  Regiment 
crossed  the  Federal  line  about  sunset 
September   20,   1863. 

Another  monument  at  Chickamauga 
has  been  erected  by  the  Asheville 
Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Con- 
federacy and  friends  of  Sixtieth  North 
Carolina  Regiment.  "Thi.s  marks  the 
spot  reached  by  the  Sixtieth  Regi- 
ment North  Carolina  Volunteers  about 
noon  September  20,  1863,  the  farth- 
est point  attained  by  Confederate 
troops   in   that   famous   charge." 

To  the  Confederate  soldier  a  grate- 
ful and  responsive  people  haye  erect- 
ed many  monuments,  and  others  are 
now  being  raised.  Among  them  may 
bo   mentioned   those   at: 

Asheville,  Bentonville,  Charlotte, 
Columbia,  Concord,  Edenton,  Frank- 
lin, Fayetteville,  Goldsboro,  Greens- 
boro, Henderson,  Hendersr  nville,  Lex- 
ington,  Lumberton,  Louisburg,  Mor- 
ganton,  New  Bern,  Newton,  Oxford, 
Fitisboro,         Rockingham.  Raleigh, 

Staiesville,  Shelby,  Salisbury,  Tarboro, 
Wilmington,  Warrent^n,  Wilson. 
V  a'lesboro,  "Washington.  Windsor, 
Weldon. 

The  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy 
are  now  erecting  a.  monument  at  Wil- 
mington to  George  Davis,  attorney 
General  of  the  Confederacy,  the  cor- 
ner-stone of  which  was  laid  during 
the  recent  Convention  of  the  United 
Daughters  of  the  Confederal.';/  in  that 
city    on    October    14,    1909. 

At  the  old  Blandford  Church  at 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  a  North  Caro- 
lina memorial  window  was  unveiled 
on  Sunday,  June  2nd,  1907.  "In  mem- 
ory of  North  Carolina's  soldiers  40.- 
275  of  whom  proved  their  devotion 
by  their  death."  These  lines  are  fol- 
lowed by  the  words  "God  Bless  North 
Carolina.  R.  E.  Lee."  (Fac  simile 
signature). 

At  Guilford  Court  House  the  Bat- 
tle Ground  Association,  under  the 
leadership  of  that  gallant  soldier  and 
patriotic  citizen,  Col.  Joseph  M.  More- 
head,  has  erected  or  secured  the  erec- 
tion of  the  following  monuments: 

Col.   Arthur   Forbes    (1888). 

Battle    Ground    Pyramid    (1888). 

Shaft  over  three  Continentals,  called 
"Red,    White    and    Blue."    (1888). 

Capt.    James    Tate    (1891). 

General    Jethro    Sumner    (1891). 

Maryland   Monument    (1892). 

Major  John  Daves  (1903). 

Col.  Joseph  Winston  and  Gov.  Jesse 
Franklin,    1S95,    reinterred   here    1906. 

Lieut.-Col.  James  Stewart  (British) 
(1895). 

Col.   Hal   Dixon    (1896). 


Hooper-Penn    Signers    (1896). 

Northern  Limit;  Southern  Limit. 

Old    Manor   House. 

Gillies  Lee's  Bugler  Boy   (1898). 

Nathaniel    Macon    (1908). 

Capt.  James  Morehead  (1902). 

A  Polished  Marker  (4  sides)  "No 
North,  Washington;  No  South,  Greene" 
(1903). 

Alamance  Monument  (1901). 

King's  Mountain   (1904). 

Judge    Schenck    (1904). 

Gen.   Davidson    (1906). 

General   Nash    (1906). 

Clio,  Muse  of  History   (1908). 

Caldwell    (1909). 

Bretigny  and  Wm.  Washington 
(1909). 

Monolith  "E  Pluribus  Unum." 
(On   the  grounds,   yet  to   be   erected). 

Completed  base  awaiting  projected 
Delaware  monument. 

The  Wachovia  Historical  Society  has 
been  active  in  collecting  historical 
records  and  has  erected  the  following 
memorials: 

Tablet  marking  the  place  and  time 
of  arrival  of  the  first  Moravian  settlers 
in  Wachovia,  November,  1753,  and  site 
of  their  first  dwelling. 

Tablet  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
"Old  Dutch  Fort"  which  was  erected 
for  protection  from  the  Indians  dur- 
ing the  French  and  Indian  War,  1756- 
1759. 

Granite  posts  marking  the  corners 
and  outline  of  the  "Old  Dutch   Fort." 

Granite  monument  at  Bethabara 
Church  to  commemorate  the  beginning 
of  Wachovia  and  the  founding  ofj 
Bethabara  in  November,  1753.  Monu- 
ment gives  the  names  of  the  first  set- 
tlers,  etc. 

All  of  the  above  tablets  are  at  Beth- 
abara, six  miles  north  of  Winston- 
Salem  and  were  erected  in  1903.  There 
is  another  tablet  at  Bethabara,  erect- 
ed in  1803,  to  commemorate  the  first 
fifty  years  of  Wachovia. 

Tablet  erected  at  the  Old  Salem 
Hotel,  in  Salem,  to  commemorate  the 
visit  of  President  Washington  in  17  91. 
Gov.  Martin,  of  North  Carolina,  visit- 
ed President  Washington  while  he 
was  a  guest  there. 

Bronze  tablet  placed  on  the  door  to 
"Washington's  Room"  in  Old  Salem 
Hotel. 

These  two  tablets  were  erected  in 
190S  by  the  Daughters  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution  and  the  Wachovia  His- 
torical Society. 

The  Sons  of  the  Revolution  annual- 
ly present  to  the  State  of  North  Caro- 
lina, an  oil  portrait  of  some  distin- 
guished Revolutionary  leader.  This 
society  has  presented  to  the  State 
portraits  of  James  Iredell,  Alfred 
Moore,  Samuel  Johnson  and  Alexander 
Martin,  and  will  in  a  few  days  present 
a  portrait  of  Governor  Abner  Nash. 


The  North  Carolina  Society  of 
the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution has  erected  a  number  of  me- 
morials. 

The  Elizabeth  Maxwell  Steele  Chap- 
ter, of  Salisbury,  has  erected  one  to 
Elizabeth  Maxwell  Steele. 

The  Dorcas  Bell  Love  Chapter  of 
TVaynesville,  has  erected  a  bronze 
tablet  in  memory  of  Col.  Robert  Love. 

The  Edward  Buncombe  Chapter  in 
.Asheville  will  establish  a  memorial  to 
Col.    Edward   Buncombe. 

The  Morganton  Chapter  will  mark 
the  place  of  the  Council  Oak  at  Qua- 
ker Meadows  under  which  Colonels 
Sevier,  Campbell  and  the  two  McDow- 
ells planned  the  battle  of  King's 
Mountain. 

The  Mecklenburg  Chapter  has  mon- 
uments to  the 

Mclntyre  Skirmish,  Oct.   3,   1780. 

Monument  near  Pineville  to  mark 
birthplace  of  James  K.  Polk,  and  a 
marker  at  the  Sugar  Creek  Burying 
Ground. 

The  Joseph  Winston  Chapter,  co- 
operating with  the  Wachovia  Histori- 
cal Association  has  marked  with  two 
bronze  tablets  points  in  Old  Salem 
town  identified  with  Washington's 
visit,  and  this  chapter  will  soon  mark 
Junaluska's  grave. 

The  North  Carolina  Society  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  Revolution  has  erect- 
ed a  memorial  tablet  in  the  rotunda 
of  the  Capitol  to  commemorate  the 
Edenton  Tea  Party. 

A  patriotic  citizen  has  marked  the 
spot  on  which  the  celebrated  Tea 
Party  house  stood. 

The  North  Carolina  Society  of  the 
Colonial  Dames  of  America  has  erect- 
ed a  monument  to  Cornelius  Harnett; 
a  monument  at  the  ruins  of  the 
Church  of  St.  Philip,  and  under  their 
auspices  a  memorial  has  been  erected 
at  Brunswick  to  Col.  Maurice  Moore 
and  "to  the  heroes  and  patriots  of  the 
Lower  Cape  Fear  led  by  Hugh  Wad- 
dell  and  John  Ashe;"  and  they  have 
also  marked  the  site  of  Governor  Try- 
on's  palace  at  Russelboro. 

At  Moore's  Creek,  the  first  great 
American  victory  of  the  Revolution 
was  won,  an  event  that  not  only  in- 
spirited the  whole  of  America,  but  as 
Frothingham  says,  "Carried  North 
Carolina  as  a  unit  in  favor  of  inde- 
pendence when  the  colonies  from  New 
England  to  Virginia  were  in  solid  ar- 
ray against  it."  On  the  battlefield 
there  has  recently  been  unveiled  a 
monument  to  the  Loyalists  who  fought 
and  fell  there,  beautifully  illustrating 
the  present  homogeneity  of  our  people 
whose  ancestors  fought  on  both  sides 
in   that   momentous   battle. 

At  King's  Mountain  the  government 
has  just  finished  a  handsome  monu- 
ment and  the  King's  Mountain  Battle 


Ground  Association  is  making  an  ef- 
fort to  have  the  government  establish 
a  national  park  there. 

On  the  Alamance  Battlefield  chere 
is  a  monument  erected  to  "The  First 
Battle  of  the  Revolution,"  and  the 
Alamance  Battle  Ground  Association 
also  proposes  to  erect  one  where  the 
Pyle  Hacking  Match  took  place  near 
Burlington. 

Among  others  worthy  of  mention 
are  monuments  to  The  Mecklenburg 
Declaration  at  Charlotte;  Memorial 
Stone     at    Fort   Raleigh;      to   Andrew 

Jackson  at  ;  to  William  Hooper 

at  Wilmington;  to  Richard  Caswell  at 
Kinston;'to  Dr.  Elisha  Mitchell  at  Mt. 
Mitchell;  to  Capt.  Otway  Burns  at 
Burnsville;  to  Washington  Duke  at 
Trinity  College;  to  Zebulon  B.  Vance 
at  Asheville;  to  Richmond  M.  Pearson 
at  Raleigh  (by  his  former  law  stu- 
dents) ;  and  one  at  Charlotte  to  the 
heroic  William  E.  Shipp,  whose  gal- 
lant young  life  was  laid  down  for  his 
country  at  Santiago. 

Probably  the  most  important  event 
in  the  history  of  North  Carolina  was 
the  Halifax  Resolution  presented  for 
the  committee  by  Cornelius  Harnett 
to  the  Provincial  Congress,  April  12, 
1776,    which   reads   as   follows: 

"Resolved,  That  the  delegates  for 
this  colony  in  the  Continental  Con- 
gress be  empowered  to  concur  with 
the  delegates  of  other  colonies  in  de- 
claring independency,  and  forming 
foreign  alliances,  reserving  to  this 
colony  the  sole  and  exclusive  right  of 
forming  a  constitution  and  laws  for 
this  colony,  and  of  appointing  dele- 
gates from  time  to  time  under  the 
direction  of  a  general  representation 
thereof,  to  meet  delegates  of  other 
colonies  for  such  purposes  as  shall 
be   hereafter  pointed   out." 

From  this  time  forward  all  political 
relations  were  severed  with  Great 
Britain  and  North  Carolina  acted  as 
an  independent  colony.  This  reso- 
lution should  be  lettered  in  bronze  and 
affixed  to  the  walls  of  our  capitol. 

The  General  Assembly  of  North  Car- 
olina of  1909  made  April  12th  a  State 
holiday  in  commemoration  of  that 
great  event.  Various  Northern  States 
have  erected  monuments  to  their  dead 
in  Federal  cemeteries  at  different 
points  in  North  Carolina,  notably  at 
Salisbury   and   New    Bern. 

A  number  of  I\orth  Carolinians  have 
established  memorials  in  the  form  of 
college  buildings,  endowments,  schol- 
arships and  prizes;  but  the  most  beau- 
tiful memorial  in  this  State  is  the 
Olivia  Raney  Library.  This  li- 
brary was  built  by  a  generous 
man  as  a  memorial  to  his  wife,  a  gift- 
ed Christian  woman  whose  mission  in 


life  was  to  help  and  make  happier 
those  who  came  within  the  radius  of 
her  acquaintance.  In  life  her  work 
was  a  benediction — in  death  her  in- 
fluence still  lives  and  grows,  benefit- 
ting and  giving  pleasure  to  the  many 
hundreds  who  avail  themselves  of  this 
beneficence.  On  this  curtain  we  see 
a  picture  of  the  famous  Taj  Mahal, 
built  by  an  Indian  Prince,  in  memory 
of  his  queen — a  tribute  to  love  and 
vanity.  Surrounding  us  is  the  Olivia 
Raney  Library,  erected  by  a  noble 
hearted  gentleman  in  memory  of  the 
queen  of  his  home — an  expression  of 
love  and  altruism. 

There  are  hundreds  of  historic  sites, 
buildings,  colonial  forts,  battle 
grounds,  churches  and  schools, 
colonial  houses,  burial  places,  etc., 
which  are  still  unmarked.  The  best 
list  of  these  places  obtainable  has 
been  arranged  and  compiled  by  that 
devoted  Carolinian,  Mrs.  James 
Sprunt,  in  a  most  interesting  and  val- 
uable paper  prepared  for  the  National 
Society  of  the  Colonial  Dames  of 
America.  As  complete  a  list  as  the 
Historical  Commission  has  been  able  to 
compile  is  appended  to  this  paper.  The 
State  Historical  Commission  is  now 
endeavoring,  though  with  slow  local 
co-operation,  to  make  an  accurate  list 
of  these  places,  arranged  by  counties. 
The  work  of  marking  and  protecting 
these  places  must  be  done  by  the 
home  people  and  local  societies.  There 
are  public  spirited  citizens  with  local 
pride  in  every  community  who  should 
organize  for  this  purpose.  The  Com- 
mission hopes  to  be  able  to  co-operate 
with  local  chapters  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  Confederacy,  Colonial  Dames 
and  Daughters  of  the  Revolution, 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion and  other  patriotic  societies. 
This  would  be  one  of  the  most  pa- 
triotic ends  to  which  these  associa- 
tions could  lend  themselves.  The 
Commission  will  also  make  an  effort 
to  interest  the  schools  and  school  or- 
ganizations in  the  various  counties  in 
this  work.  In  no  other  way  can  his- 
tory be  better  taught  or  local  pride 
stimulated  or  interest  awrakened  in 
the  State.  Another  phase  of  histori- 
cal work  to  which  our  patriotic  so- 
cieties could  direct  their  efforts  is  to 
prevent  vandalism  and   desecration. 

On  a  beautiful  eminence  overlook- 
ing the  wide  waters  of  Pasquotank 
River  as  it  loses  itself  in  Albemarle 
Sound  is  the  site  of  Elmwood,  or  Th'e 
Elms,  the  old  colonial  seat  of  the 
Swanns.  Here  stood  a  brick  house-, 
one  of  the  first  built  in  the  colony. 
During  the  war  between  the  States 
Federal  troops  tore  it  down  to  use 
the  brick  for  other  purposes.  In  it 
probably  lived  more  distinguished  men 


than  ever  occupied  any  one  residence 
in  North  Carolina.  Judge  Iredell  said 
it  was  celebrated  for  a  more  lavish 
hospitality  and  more  generous  enter- 
tainment than  any  home  in  the  col- 
ony. Here  lived  Col.  Thomas  Swann, 
Speaker;  Col.  William  Swann,  Speak- 
er; and  three  members  of  the  family 
by  the  name  of  Samuel  Swann;  John 
Swann,  member  of  Congress,  and  their 
families.  Here  lived  Frederick  Blount, 
son  of  Col.  John.  Blount,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  Bishop  Pettigrew  and'  a  man 
of  wealth  and  culture  and  an 
intimate  associate  of  Governor 
Tryon's.  Here  lived  for  a  while, 
William  Shepard,  a  staunch 

Federalist,  ship  owner,  planter,  and 
merchant.  Of  William  Shepard's 
sons  several  moved  to  the  far  South. 
The  three  who  remained  in  North 
Carolina  were  Charles  B.,  who  was 
a  member  of  Congress  and  declined 
re-election;  William  B.,  who  was  a 
member  of  Congress  and  declined  re- 
election; James  B.,  who  was  a  can- 
didate for  Governor  of  North  Caro- 
lina. Of  his  sons-in-law  John  H. 
Bryan  was  Member  of  Congress  and 
declined  re-election;  Ebenezer  Petti- 
grew was  Member  of  Congress  and 
declined   re-election. 

In  later  years  Rev.  Solomon  Pool, 
President  of  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  lived  there,  as  did  John 
Pool.  United  States  Senator  and  can- 
didate for  Governor. 

At  Elmwood  lived  and  with  it  were 
identified,  two  Speakers  of  the  As- 
sembly, five  Congressmen,  one  United 
States  Senator,  a  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor and  a  President  of  the  Univer- 
sity. No  other  home  in  North  Caro- 
lina had  so  many  historic  associa- 
tions. 

This  old  estate  has  now  been  sold 
and  divided  into  smaller  farms.  In 
the  preparation  of  a  sketch  not  long 
since,  the  writer  was  anxious  to  get 
inscription  records  from  the  Swann 
tombstones,  but  was  informed  that 
the  Swann  bricked  in  graves  had  re- 
cently been  dug  up  by  treasure 
hunters  and  such  stones  as  might  be 
there  were  covered  with  brick  and 
dirt  from  the  excavations  of  the  gold 
diggers  and  grave  robbers.  Such 
vandalism  is  a  disgrace  to  North 
Carolina  and  no  punishment  is  too 
severe  for  these  ghouls. 

My  attention  has  been  called  to 
other  colonial  graves  that  have 
been  robbed  within  the  year. 
The  State  should  watch  more 
carefully  over  these  men  who 
after  serving  her  have  been  laid  to 
rest  in  her  bosom.  Let  them  "rest  in 
peace."      Some    means    should    be    de- 


IO 


vised  to  protect  our  sacred  places 
from  profanation  by  those  base  de- 
generates who  fringe  the  lowest  shores 
of  humanity.  We  call  upon  the  pa- 
triotic people  in  every  community  to 
locate,  mark  and  care  for  their  his- 
toric   places. 

The  want  of  cities  in  North  Caro- 
lina with  well  known  depositories  is 
one  of  the  chief  reasons  why  there 
has  been  no  large  collection  of  his- 
torical papers.  Individuals  have  from 
time  to  time  made  valuable  collec- 
tions, but  these  collections  in  some 
cases  have  been  burned  or  otherwise 
destroyed  or  have  found  their  way 
to  other  States.  The  want  of  a  fixed 
capital  also  accounts  in  a  large  de- 
gree for  the  loss  of  much  of  the  offi- 
cial history  of  the  State.  In  1748 
Governor  Gabriel  Johnston  writing 
from  Edenton  to  the  Lords  of  the 
Eoard  of  Trade  in  discussing  "An  act 
for  Building  of  Public  offices  for 
Public  Meetings  and  Keeping  of  Rec- 
ords" says  "This  Province  has  been 
very  unhappy  for  want  of  such  build- 
ings ever  since  I  knew  it.  The  Pub- 
lic Records  lye  in  a  miserable  condi- 
tion; one  part  of  them  at  Edenton. 
near  the  Virginia  line,  in  a  place 
without  Lock  or  Key;  a  great  part 
of  them  in  the  Secretary's  house  at 
Cape  Fear,  about  two  hundred  miles 
distance  from  the  other.  Some  few 
of  them  at  the  Clerk  of  the  Council's 
house  at  New  Bern,  so  that  in  what- 
ever part  of  the  colony  a  man  happens 
to  be.  if  he  wants  to  consult  any  pa- 
per or  record  he  must  send  some 
hundred  of  miles  before  he  can  come 
at   it." 

In  1749  the  General  Assembly  ap- 
pointed John  Starkey.  Edward  Grif- 
fith and  Jeremiah  "Vail,  commission- 
ers, for  erecting  Public  Buildinsrs  at 
New  Pern.  If  these  commissioners 
had  erected  the  Public  Buildings  at 
this  time,  thousands  of  most  valuable 
records  and  interesting  papers  would 
have  been  saved.  This  would  have 
preserved  much  lost  history  and  would 
have  given  the  State  a  rank  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world  that  millions  in 
money  could   not  buy. 

Tn  170  7  was  commenced  the  build- 
ing of  the  Palace  at  New  Bern.  It 
was  the  State  House,  as  well  as  resi- 
dence for  the  Governor  and  contained 
an  Assembly  Hall,  Council  Chamber 
and  public  offices.  Writing  of  this 
elegant  and  noble  structure  Governor 
Tryon  in  1770  says  it  was  "A  Palace 
that  is  a  public  ornament  and  credit 
to  the  colony,  as  well  as  an  honor 
to  British  America."  The  public  rec- 
ords  were  moved    into   it   in    January, 


1771.  It  probably  cost  more  than  the 
people  could  afford  at  the  time,  but 
had  the  seat  of  government  remained 
at  New  Bern,  the  building  of  that 
State  House  would  have  been  a  wise 
investment.  There  were  about  250,- 
000  people  in  the  Province  at  that 
time  and  there  was  an  in-rush  of  im- 
migration then  in  progress  such  as 
no  other  province  in  America  exper- 
ienced. So  great  was  the  prejudice 
against  this  "monument  to  royalty" 
and  such  was  the  inconvenience  to 
the  central  and  western  sections  of 
the  State  that  the  Palace  was  aban- 
doned and  the  Capital  became  peram- 
bulatory,  naturally  causing  the  loss 
of  many  priceleci  records  and  manu- 
scripts. With  a  migratory  capital  for 
nearly         twenty         years,  it         is 

impossible  to  estimate  the  dis- 
advantage to  the  State.  The 
cost  of  the  Palace  was  an  unending 
source  of  criticism  of  Tryon,  but  as 
a  State  House  it  was  necessary,  even 
if  built  on  too  grand  a  scale  for  North 
Carolina.  It  undoubtedly  had  an  ef- 
fect upon  architecture  in  the  province, 
it  preserved  our  records  and  we  now 
take  pride  in  having  had  the  finest 
building  of  its  time  on  the  Western 
Hemisphere,  even  though  it  was  aban- 
doned and  finally  lost  from  neglect 
and    carelessness. 

The  building  of  the  present  capitol 
at  a  time  when  the  State  was  very 
poor  (in  the  decade  between  1830-40 
when  our  population  increased  only 
2  per  cent,  and  we  had  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  million  people)  at  a  cost 
of  more  than  half  a  million  dollars 
provoked  much  criticism.  But  every 
intelligent  man  admits  that  it  was  a 
most  wise  expenditure  and  though 
the  State  has  long  outgrown  it,  we  find 
satisfaction  in  its  symmetry  and  un- 
surpassed architectural  beauty  and  we 
are  loath  to  enlarge  it.  All  the  de- 
partments of  State  are  too  much 
crowded  to  render  the  best  service  and 
a  more  capacious  building  is  now  ab- 
solutely necessary  for  the  transaction 
of  public  business.  A  larger  capitol 
or  additional  building  must  come  as 
a    business    necessity    and    economy. 

In  considering  additional  buildings, 
it  may  be  found  wise  to  take  under 
advisement  the  acquirement  by  the 
State  of  the  area  bounded  by  Wil- 
mington, Jones.  Salisbury  and  Eden- 
ton streets.  This  would  give  a  public 
square  420x516  feet,  the  same  width 
as  Union  Square,  on  which  the 
capitol  stands.  In  the  center  of 
that  square  across  Halifax  street 
could  be  erected  a  State  government 
building,  commodious,  fire  proof,  mod- 
ern in  its  equipments  and  adequate  for 
the  transaction  of  the  affairs  of  the 
State.      It    could    contain    offices      for 


II 


State  offices,  State  Library,  Supreme 
Court  Rooms,  and  Supreme  Court  Li- 
brary, Agricultural  Department,  etc. 
The  basement  could  be  made  into  stor- 
age rooms,  arsenal,  etc.  One  floor 
should  be  devoted  to  a  Hall  of  History, 
in  which  portraits,  paintings,  mural 
tablets,  medallions,  inscriptions,  stat- 
ues and  monuments  would  show  the 
history  and  life  of  our  people  spread 
out  as  a  great  panorama  for  the  gaze 
of  our  own  and  future  generations. 

In  our  Capitol  should  be  mural  tab- 
lets portraying  the  war  record  of  our 
State.  Inscriptions  should  tell  the 
tale  of  the  ill-fated  Carthagena  ex- 
pedition in  which  hundreds  died  with 
no  record  of  even  their  names;  of  the 
North  Carolina  soldiers  sent  to  the 
French  and  Indian  Wars;  of  the  sol- 
diers in  the  Revolution  when  North 
Carolina  was  the  great  recruiting 
ground  for  the  American  army  (this 
State  furnished  over  22,000  soldiers 
to  the  army  of  the  Revolution  and  the 
names  of  only  about  9,000  have  been 
preserved);  of  North  Carolina's  record 
in  the  War  of  1S12;  of  our  part  in  the 
Mexican  War;  of  North  Carolina's 
sacrifices  in  the  Great  War  for  South- 
ern Independence;  and  of  our  record 
in  the  Spanish-American  War. 

Our  State  is  now  enjoying  a  period 
of  marvelous  growth,  such  as  she 
never  before  experienced.  Great  man- 
ufacturing enterprises  have  sprung  up 
and  are  being  enlarged  and  enlarged 
again.  Industries  are  being  developed, 
agriculture  is  being  improved  and  an 
era  of  prosperity  and  increase  in  pop- 


ulation is  upon  us.  The  State  and 
the  people  are  growing  richer  and 
stronger,  education  is  encouraged  with 
a  liberality  of  money  and  of  thought 
never  before  known;  culture,  litera- 
ture, and  the  arts  will  increase  with 
wealth  and  leisure.  But  with  our 
agricultural  growth  and  resources  un- 
surpassed, with  material  wealth  enor- 
mously increasing,  with  our  manu- 
facturing plants  being  multiplied  with- 
out end,  we  realize  that  our  greatest 
resource  and  asset  are  our  people — 
people  of  intelligence  and  character, 
and  our  greatest  manufacturing  plants 
are  the  schools  which  convert  the  un- 
finished product  of  a  raw  boy  or  girl 
into  the  educated,  patriotic  North 
Carolinian.  Today  there  are  over 
700,000  children  in  the  schools  of  the 
State — the  State  will  live  in  them  and 
they  will  make  the  State.  We  must 
plant  into  the  hearts  and  minds  of 
those  who  are  one  day  to  shape  its 
destinies,  make  its  laws,  write  its  his- 
tory, sing  its  songs  and  paint  its  glor- 
ies, a  love  and  veneration  for  the 
State.  To  make  a  great  and  glorious 
future,  we  must  have  the  knowledge 
and  inspiration  of  a  great  past,  for  hu- 
manity is  most  powerful  in  teaching 
by  example,  and  history  is  most  gra- 
phic when  our  ideals  or  examples  can 
be  shown  in  imperishable  paintings, 
marbles  or  bronze.  Let  us  strive  not 
only  to  offer  the  written  word,  but 
show  to  the  world  the  visible  forms 
and  features  of  the  great  actors  in  the 
life  of  our  State. 


II 

I 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N  C   AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00033941637 


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